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Early literacy

The language, sound and book skills a child builds from birth, well before reading, that later support learning to read and write.

What It Means

Early literacy is the set of skills and experiences that come before reading and writing: hearing and using spoken language, enjoying books, noticing that words are made of sounds, and learning that print carries meaning. It starts in infancy through talking, singing and reading together. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) treats it as part of routine child health care from birth until at least kindergarten entry.

Try It: Step Through Early Literacy From Birth to Grade 3

Pick a stage to see what early literacy looks like there and who says so.

Talk, sing and read from birth. The AAP's 2024 statement advises shared reading starting in infancy.

How Parents Say It

  • "She knows that book by heart and 'reads' it to the dog."
  • "He's started asking what signs say."
  • "We sing the alphabet song in the car every day."

The Breakdown

Early literacy by stage

StageWhat it looks likeSource
Birth to 1 yearTalking, singing and reading together; the AAP advises starting shared readingReading aloudReading a book out loud with a child, from birth on. The AAP advises it because shared reading builds language, early literacy skills and the parent-child bond. See more in infancyAAP policy statement, 2024
By 2 yearsMost children point to things in a book when you askCDC milestone checklistDevelopmental milestonesSkills most children can do by a certain age, like rolling over or waving bye-bye. CDC places each at the age 75% or more of children reach it. See more
Preschool yearsLonger conversations about books; the AAP asks pediatricians to promote reading at least until kindergarten entryAAP policy statement, 2024
Kindergarten to grade 3Hearing the sound segments in words and linking them to letters, one of four recommendations for teaching foundational reading skillsIES practice guide, 2016

Everyday ways to build it. Read aloud, name things you see, sing songs with rhymes, point to words on a cereal box or a street sign, and let your child scribble and "write" a list with you. These are our own examples.

When to talk to the doctor or school. CDC recommends talking with your child's doctor about any concern with how your child speaks or understands, and each CDC milestone sits where 75% or more of children have already reached it, so even one missing item is worth raising. Once your child is in school, talk with the teacher if reading seems much harder for them than for classmates.

Good to Know

In 2000, the National Reading Panel, in a report published by NICHD, named five components of reading instruction: phonemic awarenessPhonemic awarenessThe ability to hear, pick out and play with the single sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, like hearing that "cat" is made of three sounds. See more, phonicsPhonicsTeaching children how letters and letter groups stand for the sounds in spoken words, so they can sound out words to read them and spell them. See more, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Early literacy at home lays groundwork for these, especially vocabulary and awareness of sounds, while the teaching of phonics and fluency mostly happens in school.

FAQ

At what age does early literacy start?

At birth. The AAP's 2024 policy statement advises reading with children starting in infancy and asks pediatricians to promote literacy at least until kindergarten entry.

What are early literacy skills?

They include spoken language and vocabulary, enjoying and handling books, noticing the sounds in words, and understanding that print carries meaning. They grow through everyday talk, songs and shared reading long before a child reads alone.

Should I teach my toddler to read?

The AAP's advice centers on reading together and talking, starting in infancy. Formal teaching of sounds and letters is what the IES practice guide covers for kindergarten through grade 3.

Do It in Buhata

Calendar, Reminders

Put library story time on the Calendar in your Household Space in Buhata and add a Reminder the morning of it.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Reading aloud

    Reading a book out loud with a child, from birth on. The AAP advises it because shared reading builds language, early literacy skills and the parent-child bond.

  • Dialogic reading

    A way of reading picture books where the adult asks questions and builds on the child's answers, so the child gradually becomes the one telling the story.

  • Phonemic awareness

    The ability to hear, pick out and play with the single sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, like hearing that "cat" is made of three sounds.

  • Language development

    How a child learns to understand and use sounds, gestures and words, from early squeals to first words, two-word phrases and short stories.

  • Kindergarten readiness

    How prepared a child is for kindergarten, in social, emotional, language, thinking and physical skills, alongside meeting their state's entry age.

  • Phonics

    Teaching children how letters and letter groups stand for the sounds in spoken words, so they can sound out words to read them and spell them.

Parenting and child development

Sources

American Academy of Pediatrics, "Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice" (policy statement, Pediatrics, December 2024); HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Beyond Literacy: Shared Reading Starting at Birth Offers Lifelong Benefits"; CDC, "Milestones by 2 Years"; What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, "Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade" (practice guide, 2016); NICHD, "Report of the National Reading Panel"

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